Life on the Flying Dutchman
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a well meaning first mate, a violent bo'sun, and a no nonsense legend of a captain, plus a few others, to raise a pirate. A pirate girl, that is, who can win any arm wrestling contest, out spit any boy, and ride a Kraken without getting scared... or thrown off. Rated just to be safe.
1. The Little Not-Mermaid?

Life on the Flying Dutchman 

**by Mercy "Jones" Shawe**

_as told to A'isha Ishtar_

* * *

_Sometimes you gotta take control_

_Don't know what you can do_

_Or what you're capable_

'_Cause it's all up to you_

_Let your excuses go_

_It's time for you to show_

_I'll push myself with all I got_

_Gonna make it 'cause I'm ready_

_Don't care if you're not_

_This world won't give you what you want_

_Unless you take your shot_

_So give it all you got_

_Inside of me, I'll find my wings_

'_Cause I can be most anything_

_Inside of me is all I'll ever need..._

_I'm all I'll ever need..._

_I'm all I'll ever need..._

_I'm all I'll ever need..._

_~"Inside of Me", Cheryline Lim_

* * *

It was Maccus who first found me, floating round the _Dutchman._ I'd been along with my father, on a fishing trip. We were on our raft, and usually this had been our place. My mother died soon after I was born, so this was where my father and I bonded. He taught me to love the sea, to respect the waters and be thankful for the fish we caught. We were close, naturally, and the ocean brought us even closer.

But we hadn't counted on the storm. It was an awful storm, with strong winds and pelting rain against us. My father braced me against the raft, tying rope around my waist so I wouldn't be washed into the angry sea, and told me he'd swim ashore to get help. It wasn't far, but he couldn't drag me, otherwise we'd never make it. But he knew this ocean like the back of his hand, and when he got help to tow me back, he would be able to find me. So he left, kissing my head one more time and promising that he'd be back for me.

He never came back.

I drifted for probably three days, out on that raft atop the waves. The storm I braved, but after that I had no idea what I was to do. I wanted to wait for my father, but I also didn't want to die out here. I managed to untie the rope from my middle, working it down past my hips and kicking it away with my feet. When I could move again, on the first real day I spent without my father since the storm stopped, the first sensation I felt was thirst. I scooped up some seawater in my hands and drank it, but a moment later I threw up violently. Three times.

Then I got hungry, on the second day. There were fish swimming close to the surface, and being a fisherwoman-in-training, I easily caught one. It wriggled fiercely, being out of the water and unable to breathe. That was quickly remedied, though, once I took a chunk of broken wood and killed it. Fish were usually supposed to be cooked first, but I didn't have any means of starting a fire (rubbing pieces of wood together rarely works), and I wanted to eat.

So once I picked out the splinters I'd accidentally left by staking it, I just ate it raw. I hesitated, but I did it. It got blood all over my mouth, cheeks, and hands, and it tasted terrible. I couldn't even force myself to finish it; after about four or five bites I tossed it back. It was about thirty minutes, but sure enough the uncooked fish made me even sicker than the water had.

The third day was pure hell. I was lost, tired. I was maddeningly thirsty and hungry, but I knew all attempts to satisfy myself would only make the situation worse. A few times I drank a bit of water anyway, though soon after I always vomited. On top of it, I missed my father... he wasn't coming back. I knew that much, stupid as I was. As the salty tears escaped my dry eyes, they ran into my equally dry, cracked mouth, but offered no relief. I prayed to the sea, to any of its rulers who would listen, and I asked for them, for the sea, to protect me, to send me a beacon of hope.

* * *

... _I'll give ye one chance more, Davy Jones..._

_... Take care of de little one..._

* * *

Like I said before, it was Maccus who first found me and took me aboard the legendary _Flying Dutchman._ He can be very brutal, and he loves to grumble before he does things, but don't let that fool you. He's got a soft spot in his hard, barnacley heart for children, and his mates.

I must have been way out of it, probably half-unconscious, to not notice that my raft was floating toward a giant ship. Even my little vessel bumping against her hull didn't faze me. I was nearly asleep, I think, and at that point I was hoping never to wake up again.

The next thing I knew, I heard someone yell, but they sounded foggy and faraway, and I could make out what they were saying. Then all of a sudden, there was a massive splash beside me, nearly toppling my pathetic craft over. I barely managed to hold on, but then I felt a hand on my face. It wasn't a normal human hand; it was cold, rough, and there were uneven bumps across it.

My chin was turned up, and I willed my eyes open. They were blurry and stinging from the saltwater, but the outline was clear. It was blue, and for all my knowledge it was a hammerhead shark. It was quite the fright, though, when he suddenly spoke, shouting up at the crew of the inhumanly large ship. "Hey mates! Shiver me timbers, we got a little lass overboard!"

"Hold on, Maccus!" came another voice, this time from above. "We'll toss ye the Jacob's Ladder, mate!"

The shark-man's arm was wrapped around my waist now, but I didn't struggle. It reminded me of the binds during the storm; I was just too tired and weak to care. I likely looked like a ragdoll, flopping about, as he carried me up the rope ladder. He was strong, and only using one arm to carry me.

After a moment, I was set onto the wooden deck of the ship, on my back. For a moment all I could do was cough, since the air was thicker and saltier here. All I could see were blobs of color, the world spinning and faces a mystery, though the shark-man was the most prominent to me. He leaned down, shooing the others back a bit, and slapped my cheek. Hard. He couldn't be blamed, though, since he thought I was asleep. (Good thing was that, in my haze, I hardly felt it.) "Show a leg, lass! Wha' be yer name?"

I groaned, then coughed again before answering. "It's Mercy. What... What's _your_ name?"

"I be Maccus, first mate o' the _Flyin' Dutchman._ Ye been out there long, lass?"

"Three... Three days, I think, sir," I managed to wheeze out, blinking in an attempt to see clearer. "There was a storm..."

My attempt worked. I could see better, and I saw that the shark-man, Maccus, had only on real, human eye. The other was on the side of his head, like a real hammerhead shark. He was staring at me, and if his head shaking was any indication, he didn't like what he was saying. "Palifico," he called, briefly turning away from me. "Go get Koleniko. I don't like the way the little lass be lookin' - she need help."

One of the crew, who looked to be entirely made of coral but still built like a human, nodded his head. "Aye, Maccus. Jus' be a minute." He hurried off, toward the belowdecks area.

"Who's Koleniko?" I mumbled, fighting to keep my eyes open.

"Our coxswain. He navigates, helps keep order. He was a doctor, 'fore he became a pirate. He ought ta be able ta help ye."

"Is he nice?"

"He won't be holdin' yer hand the whole time, if that's wha' ye be meanin'. He don't coddle, that's fer certain, but he'll find out wha's wrong with ye."

I managed to nod, but I was too focused on trying to fill my lungs as fully as possible to try and say anything else.

A few more seconds passed before the coral man, Palifico, returned. He had another man with him, whose face half looked like a puffer fish. He knelt down by me before glancing up at Maccus. "What the hell did ye do ta 'er?" he demanded.

"Didn't do anythin'," Maccus grunted. "She was jus' out in the sea, 'n' I fished 'er out. She not lookin' too good, eh, Niko?"

"Shut yer yella trap 'n' let me look at 'er then!" the puffer fish man, probably Koleniko, snapped. He looked back down at me, his mismatched eyes softening just a little. "Alright, lass. I'm jus' gonna look at ye. Savvy? How long was she in the water, Maccus?"

"Round three day, she said."

"Right." He put a hand on my forehead, though his hand felt more like a fin than fingers. "Feels like ye got a bit o' fever. Can ye tell me wha' happened, lassie? Why were ye out there?"

"My dad and I were out fishin'," I answered, leaning in and wanting more of his cool touch, even though he hadn't pulled back yet. "That's what we do. Then it started stormin'. He tied me to the raft so I wouldn't fall in, and left to get help. But he didn't come back, an' I been out in the sea since."

"I see. And ye managed ta untie yerself? By God, wha' a strong one ye be. Haven't had anythin' to eat er drink, have ye?"

I blinked sheepishly. "I... drank some seawater," I admitted. "Then I caught a fish an' tried to eat it, but I couldn't keep it down."

"Aww lass, bein' a fisher I woulda though' ye'd know not ta do tha'," Koleniko groaned, frowning. He drew his hand back and put it on my stomach instead. "Bein' out in the sea fer so long's made ye sick, 'n' drinkin' the water there 'n' eatin' raw meat... ye've made yerself sicker." He pressed down a little on my stomach. "Does tha' hurt?"

I nodded; it felt like a knife was tearing through my belly when he pressed on it. "Aye, sir," I managed through gritted teeth, now using seamen's colloquialisms.

"Aye, I figured as much. Wha's yer name?"

"Mercy, sir. Name's Mercy."

Aye, righ' pretty." He put his hand now on my hair as he looked back up at the first mate. "Maccus, she got a nice slew o' problems, eh? She needin' water 'n' food, 'n' lots o' rest. Cool water on th' head too. We have an empty hammock belowdecks?"

"Aye... can't think o' a reason we wouldn'. Gonna have 'er sleep down 'ere?"

"Aye. If ye can get it ready, I gotta walk 'er down." As he waved Maccus off, he looked back down at me. "Think ye can get ta yer feet, lass?"

"Y-Yes." With a bit of help from him, I struggled to stand up, and eventually did so.

Koleniko made sure I could take a few steps on my own (tentative and wobbly though they were) before he began to walk ahead of me. He wasn't very far away, but to me it seemed like miles. "C'mon now, lass. Keep up, I'm righ' here."

I had a bit of trouble staying with him, but I feel I should have been commended for my effort. I was slow, and I was shaking quite a bit. I thought I was safe with Koleniko, with all the rest of the crew around... yet oh, how wrong I was.

I wasn't expecting it, nor could any warning have prepared me for it. Because all of a sudden, out of thin air, I was struck by something slender, but sharp. I cried out bloody murder as I fell to my knees, alerting Koleniko as well as the others. It took another lash from the same weapon for me to realize that I was being whipped.

"Stop it! Righ' now!" Koleniko immediately rushed to my side, yelling at whoever was wielding the whip. "Jimmy, stop, she's jus' a little lass!"

The sting of the cat was taken away for a moment, as my tormentor walked to my other side. "All th' more reason. Teach 'em young, 'n' you never 'ave a problem wit' 'em." He knelt down, and I could see the eerie darkness of his inhuman face, but it wasn't friendly like Maccus, Koleniko, or even Palifico. No, he was hideous, like a piranha, with rows of sharp teeth glinting at me from his smirk. "Ahoy, lass. I'm Jimmy Legs, the bo'sun on the _Dutchman._ Ye won' be any trouble, lassie, now will ye?" His voice and tone scared me, and for good reason.

Not ten seconds after he uttered the last syllable, he resumed whipping me. I was screaming and sobbing, because I'd never been whipped before, but not even Koleniko could make him stop hurting me. I couldn't tell what the rest of the crew thought, since I couldn't see them; I heard a few laughing, it seemed, and I thought I heard someone - besides me - crying. It was a long, painful sort of initiation, but to tell truth it was only five lashes, including the first two. Jimmy Legs was just so strong and sadistic about it, and I'd never experienced it, which had made it seem longer and more excruciating.

Once it was over, I had just enough strength left in me to collapse on the deck, near landing on my face. I was now permitted to feel the full, unabridged pain of the session, burning and stinging and worst of all _itching_, across my back. It felt like bits of skin had been completely torn off, or at least were hanging on by very little. Every little skirting of wind seemed to whip again, reawakening the agony of the new gashes.

Jimmy Legs was done, though he cracked his nine-tailed cat once more, if only to remind me never to cross him. He'd only used one tail on me, but that only meant there were eight more waiting for me should I ever so much as look at him the wrong way. "Well," he snickered cruelly, walking away. "Looks like ye're worthy o' bein' a cabin brat after all. Didn't think ye had i' in ye."

I felt as though I could have easily passed out right then. I was halfway there, in fact, sprawled over the stiff dampness of the deck. I didn't even bother trying to stand, as I knew it would only end in disaster.

Koleniko hung back in hesitation, watching Jimmy Legs swagger off toward the helm, then came and knelt beside me. "'S alright, Mercy," he whispered, scooping me up in his arms. His spines pricked me, inciting further fury from the wounds on my back. He couldn't help it, though, if he was to comfort me; the quills were all over his left side. "He's left. He won't be hurtin' ye anymore righ' now."

"W-Why did he want to in the first place, Koleniko?" I sobbed, leaning closer against his chest. "I never done as much to him! I barely know him!"

"He lives off o' the fear, lass," the answered, standing up with me. "The screams. An' he went easy on ye... be grateful ye're not missin' an entire layer o' skin."

He carried me down, belowdecks, and then it was universally but unofficially decided that I became the _Dutchman's_ cabin girl.

* * *

**Oooh! Davy's not gonna like that. Something decided unofficially without HIM? *cue music from _Jaws_***

**Happy reading, hope you liked! Any questions, feel free to ask! ^^**


	2. Captain Cephalopod

**Hi hi! Lol.**

**I feel like Davy's a little outta character in this chapter... but probably just because he's dealing with a child who's not YET part of the crew. Hehe. I have this completely crazy, wild, random idea that he likes kids. I'm not sure why... he's got to have a soft spot for SOMETHING besides Calypso. Plus because Penrod is so small, he was probably only a kid when he joined too. I dunno, just something I saw in another author's story and it kinda makes sense.**

**Hope you guys likee!**

* * *

It was probably close to a week before I met the _Flying Dutchman_'s captain - the infamous Davy Jones. I'd heard the stories, of course, from my father, but I was curious (though not painfully anxious) to discover what the man - if indeed he were a man - was truly like. I wondered if he was any more or less than I'd been told.

Koleniko had washed and bandaged the atrocity on my back, but I was lucky that Jimmy Legs hadn't deemed that I needed extra punishment. (Even if he had, Niko would have barricaded the door and refused to let him near me while I was in that sorry state.) The water stung on the then-fresh wounds, but at least he used the rainwater he'd collected. The storage of drinking water was usually stale and mixed with rum to hide the taste, which would have clawed at my sliced back much worse. He gave me some of that to drink after he washed my back; nothing else was on the ship to drink. It was first time drinking anything with rum, and it wasn't awful. It was cloying and sweet, warming me from the inside.

He put some ointment on it too, but he wouldn't tell me what it was. It burned horribly at first, and I thought I was going to die then, if only from sheer pain. After a moment, however, it calmed down and felt cool and soothing. I got more rum-water after that - I think Koleniko just felt guilty that he made me scream so much, so he gave me a few long sips each time. (And took some himself, of course, though that was likely him trying to get too drunk to remember the whole thing ever occurring. I don't think it took.)

He even managed to find me a playmate from the crew. His name was Hadras, and he was wonderful company. He was childlike, and therefore the perfect companion for a child like me. I couldn't see his one eye, because a conch shell had grown about his head, but that didn't stop me from making a quick friend of him.

He was the one I'd heard crying when Jimmy Legs whipped me; he'd asked Koleniko if he could see me on the second day, presumably because of all the shrieking I'd done as Niko patched me up. Hadras told me he didn't think it right to see a young lass like me being tortured by Jimmy Legs's cat for no reason, and that made me feel good. Someone else cared about me.

When Niko couldn't be with me, he usually trusted Hadras to take care of me. And he was sweet to me too, tending to every detail and giving me anything I asked for. He even washed my hair - which by this time was thick with dry seawater and matted with its salt, entangled with kelp, and knotted.

He was very gentle with me, working slowly through each strand. As he did, he would teach me songs in Japanese, which was his first language. My favorite was "Paper Moon", which was a scary story about witches and fortune-telling and trying not to let the evil ones outdo you. His favorite was "Kesenai Tsumi", which meant "indelible sin", though neither of us truly grasped the meaning of the word _indelible._ (Hadras thought it meant "unforgivable", but I swore _indelible_ meant something you couldn't eat. Like that raw fish from earlier.)

I liked learning Japanese from Hadras. So far he'd taught me how to say _"Konichiwa! Mercy desu. Genki desu ka?"_ That meant "Hello! I'm Mercy. How are you?" And _"ohayou!"_, which was just "good morning". Sometimes he'd ask me "_Daijoubou desu ka?_" if he was worried about me, because that's "Are you alright?"

Over the few days that Hadras tended to me, we became best friends. There was no one else on the ship like him; he was so much younger than the others, as was I. He was careful how he treated me, and didn't do anything he knew would hurt me. He knew how bad it hurt to receive a lashing from Jimmy Legs, and was very deliberate if he had to touch my back.

The one day he was with me, braiding my hair, I was in quite a bit of pain from my back. He had me lying on my stomach, so he could reach me and so I didn't have to be on my back. He'd just combed through my hair the same morning, so it didn't hurt much. "D'you know where Niko is?" I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes. "He told me he change the bandages t'day."

Hadras gave me a sympathetic, sad smile. "We fighting strong current t'day," he replied. "Koleniko is good navigator... him 'n' Greens got to keep on course. Dun' t'ink he be doing it an'time soon, _Jihi-chan._" (_Jihi_ is my name in Japanese! _Chan_ is just tacked on the end because I'm his friend.)

I groaned and let my head fall down, back onto the hammock's netting. "Y're not goin' to do it either, are you, Hadras?"

"Can't," was his simple answer. "I'd hurt ye."

I blew some air out of my mouth, pouting even though he couldn't see it. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"_Gomen._" _Sorry._

Then all of a sudden, the door swung open at the top of the stairs. I couldn't see very well, but someone was there - someone with a rather large build. A voice called out, "Hadras!" From what I knew the accent was Scottish. And the speaker was male. And he clearly liked to enunciate his words. "Ye're needed tae fix up the shrouds. Go on, I gotta talk ta the lass."

Hadras quickly laid my nearly-done hair down on the side of the hammock so it hung over. "Yes, Captain!" He got up and touched my face lovingly. "See you soon, _Jihi-chan._" He waved as he hurried up the steps and past the shadowy figure.

"Captain"? Oh. So this meant I was finally going to meet the legendary Davy Jones.

The man took a few steps down the stairs, the sound echoing loudly with each one. "Mercy?" It was a bit funny - when he said my name, it sounded like "Mare-see". But it wasn't something that grated on my nerves; it was rather endearing, actually.

I blinked, not sure of what I was going to see. "Captain? Oh, it's good I get to meet you, sir."

"Aye, I've been waitin' till Koleniko said ye were well enough." He stepped into the relative light, and I got my first glimpse of him. For one thing, his beard was made of tentacles and was constantly moving. It was a bit unnerving, but for the most part I was fine with it. I'd seen scarier fish than an octopus, even if said octopus was part of a man's face. His one leg looked like a peg leg, but it was crimson like a crab's, and his one hand was a claw.

He came closer, and I could tell he was waiting for me to do something, say something, so he could gauge my reaction to his appearance. "Lass? Ye feelin' righ'?"

I blinked again. "Yes, sir. I been waitin' to meet my captain."

He nodded, probably not sure what to think of me yet. "Mind if I have a sit?"

I moved my legs swiftly as I could, so there was a place for Davy on the hammock. "No mind at all, Captain."

He carefully sat down, causing my makeshift bed to rock and sway till he steadied himself. He looked ahead out the small porthole, which was infested with barnacles, before speaking to me. "I hear' the bo'sun gave ye some lashin's the very second me first mate pulled ye from the sea." He glanced down at me, then continued. "I dinnae doubt it, but seein' the results fer meself... it be a bit shockin' on firs' look."

I managed to shoot him a smile. While I wasn't exactly livid with Jimmy Legs anymore, his cat o' nines was something I'd like to avoid in the future. "Oh, I think I deserved it, Captain Jones. After all, if I'm to be in the crew, I need to know what a proper lashing feels like - so I know to behave myself an' do as I'm told. So, anyway, Captain... you're a bit different than I expected, what with you being Davy Jones an' all."

He let out a noise that sounded like a snort, and his tentacles moved ever so slightly. "I had no though' tha' ye would say otherwise. Wha' did ye expect, lass?"

I looked at him for a minute, really studying him. Then I shrugged, reaching to fiddle with the loose bandage on my chest. At last I replied with, "You're taller than I imagined you'd be."

A somewhat bitter laugh escaped his mouth. "Oh? Am I now?"

"Yes sir," was my nearly immediate response.

He shook his head after this. "Ah, lass..." He pulled out a pipe, but he didn't light it. Instead he just slipped it between his lips, teeth clenching around it thoughtfully. "Ye know, lass... we haven't had a child like ye on the crew before. O' course, Maccus 'n' Koleniko and certainly Hadras... they'd all love ta have ye stay. But some o' the others... the bo'sun, Quittance, even Ratlin... they ain't exac'ly too trustin' of ye." He sighed and looked at me again. "Lass, I'd never throw ye over - ye're jus' a child. I'm heartless, but I ain't wit'out decency. So I'm givin' ye a choice. Ye can either work in the galley wit' Old Haddy, er ye can work wit' Bill, swabbin' the deck. Which would ye rather do?"

I thought about it for a minute, really thought about it. If I was belowdecks in the galley, I'd get close company with one person, Old Haddy - but maybe _too_ close. Working up on the deck, I'd probably get to know more of the crew - and I'd get to see Niko and Hadras more. (And Maccus, and Palifico.) "I can swab the deck, sir."

"Good. Ye can start as soon as ye feel up to i'. Should be tomorrow er day after?"

I shrugged, shifting in my hammock. "If that's when you want me to start working, sir."

"Aye, tha' should be fine then. So..." He glanced down at me yet again, looking as if he weren't sure what to say now. He used a tentacle to lift up his tricorn and scratch his head before he finally decided what to say. "Eh... anythin' else ye be needin'?"

I pursed my lips. "Well... Jimmy Legs, he won't flog me if I do my duties, will he? I mean, he's done it already when I didn't do anything wrong..."

He shook his head. "Cannae promise ye much, lass. The bo'sun has high standar's, 'n' if ye dinnae live up tae 'em, ye be gettin' a bit o' a lashin'. How many di' he give ye the firs' dae?"

"Five, sir."

"Aye, tha' be his usual fer small things. Jus' tread ligh'ly round him. Dinnae worry, lass - if he pulls somethin' like wha' I see he's done tae ye here, ever does i' again fer not'in, _he'll_ be th' one gettin' lashed."

I frowned just a little bit at that. Jimmy Legs certainly wasn't as lovable as, say, Hadras - but I didn't want anyone to go through the pain I was enduring. Not even Jimmy Legs; and it seemed as though Davy would crack the whip much harder. "Oh, no, Captain Jones - please don't whip him. I do think a nice, stern talking-to would get it in his head."

Davy just stared at me for a moment, then chuckled lowly. "Ye really dinnae know how things run on me ship, do ye, lass? Well, we'll be fixin' tha' soon anyhow." One of his tentacles patted me on the head, then he stood up. "I'll be sendin' Hadras back down then."

As he turned, I thought I saw something glint silver beneath his beard. And being a curious little cabin girl, I had to ask. "Wait, Captain! Are you wearin' a necklace? Can I see it?"

He sighed, but faced me again. One tentacle reached in among the others, and after a few seconds procured a small but very elegant locket. It was cast in silver, in the shape of a heart with various little details that I never would have been creative enough to think of. "'S a music box as well," he muttered, lowering it down just enough so I could see it.

"It's right beautiful," I breathed, though I was in too awkward of a position (and too tired) to reach for it. "Who gave it to you? Your mum or your dad?"

He sook his head, and brought the locket to his own eyes. "Nae. This was given tae me long ago, lass, before ye were even a pup in yer mama's belly. Her name was Calypso. She's the mos' lovely lass in the worl', but dinnae let that fool ye. She has quite th' temper, 'n' she be changin' her mind so fas' 'n' so oft it'll make ye dizzy. Plays a song she made up, i' does. I's fer both of us... she got one looks exac'ly like this one."

"How long's it been since you seen her, Captain?"

"Years, lass. Been years."

I blinked a few times. "If you love her, why don't you see her more? Every day, I mean?"

He hid the locket again, back in his beard, and turned away from me. "Ye be gettin' yer sleep now, lass. Day after t'morrow, ye'll be workin' wit' Mister Turner. G'nigh' now."

And he was gone. I didn't even see him walk up the stairs; he was just gone.

I wondered, if he loved this Calypso girl so much, why was he pretending like he didn't?

Well, I learned early that my captain was a very confusing man, anyway.

* * *

**Mwahaha! About the Japanese songs - yep, they're modern ones, but we can pretend. We _can_ pretend, right? LOL. Cuz even when you translate them, it sounds like something that COULD be in that era... just close yer eyes 'n' pretend, me beauties...**

**Ah, Captain Jones. He really IS confusing, isn't he? Hehe!**

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


	3. Liar Liar, Pants on Fire

**Lol, I felt that I owed you guys this...**

**Also, I felt it was high time that Mercy learned Liar's Dice. She'll be playing it for years, after all, might as well get good at it now! I do believe, based on what happens in the chappie, that she's a VERY lucky little lass... that, or Calypso was interfering. XD**

**Well, I hope you guys likee! :D**

* * *

Liar's Dice is the best game ever invented.

It seems complicated at first, but the rules are really actually simple. Maccus visited and taught me to play, on the day before I was to begin working with Mister Turner. It works like this: Each player has a cup and six dice. They roll the dice, but keep them under the cup. Then each player bids on how many of one face there are on the table - their own dice and the other players' included.

Next everyone looks at their own dice, and you can either up your bid or call someone's bluff. After that, everyone reveals their dice. The one with the closest bet wins, and the others are the "liars" and lose whatever they bet (or, if they're betting years as usual, they get however many years they bet added to their sentence).

Usually you play with three or four people, but if you're just on a quick break you only play with one of your mates. Maccus showed me it was just as easy to play with more than two people, but I wasn't great at those games. I lost to Maccus twice, and to Niko once. I beat Hadras quite a bit, but against all three of them together I didn't even stand a ghost of a chance. Even against just Maccus and Koleniko I only had one victory of some five or so games we played. It was fun though. I began to think, however, that the reason they played with me wasn't because I was a worthy opponent; it was because they would rather trump my arse in Liar's Dice than do their jobs. (Not that I blame them...)

At last the day I was to begin working arrived. I was helped out of my hammock by Hadras and Niko, with both of them fussing over me like a pair of bloody mother hens. I was just glad Maccus wasn't there to see; he cared about me too, of course, but the spectacle they were making of it... ooh, he'd be just _disgusted._ But I let them do it; if I was to be part of the crew, after all, it was probably the last little bit of babying I'd ever get from anybody - even my Hadras, bleeding heart though he was. They were still pirates, and I was the cabin girl, whether they liked me or not.

The sun was barely in the sky when we got up there, and suddenly I felt unlucky to be wearing only bandage wrapped about my top half. Most of the crew wore no shirt at all - I surely thought they must get warm easily, because I thought it was cold. All the crew 'sides me were men though, and I couldn't stop the rush of heat to my cheeks should I be looking at one of them, especially while he were working the ship or what have you. (Except Hadras of course, who'd not worn a shirt even when I first met him. And he was my friend.)

I _was_ a bit young to be getting all hot and bothered over men's bare chests; I'd never found the courage to quite be shy about it though. If I wanted to stare at a bare-chested man hoisting the colors with his well-muscled arms, I would do damn well as I pleased.

As it turned out, Mister Turner (or Bootstrap Bill, as most of the crew seemed to call him) was on his midmorning break. Probably getting something to eat, Koleniko told me. One of them would have stayed with me, but their breaks were over. If they didn't want a fresh taste of Jimmy Legs's cat, they had to get going. So they let me alone sitting by a barrel, where they could see me, and went off to do their jobs.

I sat there for a while, minding my own business in a bored sort of way. I amused myself by sucking on some hardtack Hadras had given me, and also by squashing spiders who dared get too close to me. I counted the dice in my pocket, of which I had the six that I'd gotten from Maccus, and banged them about inside a cup I'd found atop my barrel. (Yes, _my_ barrel.)

After several minutes, a shadow was cast over me. Looking up from my cup of dice, I revealed the shadow's match to be Jimmy Legs. Cracking his whip loudly, like he couldn't wait to sink it into my back again. "Well well," he commented. "Takin' a caulk while ye're s'posed ta be workin'? Grounds fer five more lashes, I'd say."

I blinked at him innocently, then displayed my dice and cup. "Fancy a game of Liar's Dice, bo'sun? I'm just waitin' for Mister Turner so I can start my duties. If you're on a break we could play. I've not played with _you_ before."

It looked like he raised an eyebrow at me, lowering his cat. "Liar's Dice? Wit' _you?_ Doubt ye'd be a challenge."

"Maccus taught me. Please? I'm bored, and you must be too, if the only one you can find to point your cat at is _me._"

"Well..." Hesitantly, he sat down across from me, keeping his precious cat where he could reach it, should that be necessary. "A'righ' then. S'pose I could go fer a round er two. Time fer me break any'ow." He pulled out his own dice and a cup. "Wha' are the terms? Wha'll we be bettin', then, since ye 'ave no years o' service?"

I shrugged. "Well, how about lashings? You know, we play three rounds an' however many you win is how many lashes you get to give the other person."

"Ah, now I see." He tossed his dice into his cup, as I did with mine. "I 'ope ye're no' still sore, then. We'll play three, so tha's 'ow many more lashin's ye'll be gettin'!"

"Let's roll, Jimmy." Felt a bit queer, calling him by his first name instead of either "bo'sun" or "sir", but no matter. We both took a roll, then slammed our cups down. "You bid first," I offered.

"Two fives. Yers?"

"Uh... two ones."

We peeked at our dice; out of mine I counted two ones, a four, and three sixes. I looked up and blinked. "Up the bid, Jimmy?"

He grunted. "Aye, four fives. Ye gonna up it er call me a liar?"

"Umm... I think I'll up it as well." Well, I _did_ have three sixes, but how likely was it that he'd also rolled any sixes? He was betting fives, after all, of which I had none. It was more likely that he'd rolled a one, I thought. "I say three ones."

"A'righ'." We lifted our cups at the same time, and it looked like Jimmy was surprised. He had three fives, a three, and two ones. "Wha'... wai' a minute!"

I raised my hands. "You're a liar, Jimmy Legs!" I cried happily, waving my arms. "A filthy, bilge-sucking liar!"

He scooped up the rest of the dice angrily, as a few crewmen drifted away from their posts to watch us. "Beginner's luck, lass," he snarled. "Nex' round, take yer roll."

* * *

By the time our third round was underway, virtually _nobody_ was working anymore. (Except for Greenbeard, the helmsman, on account of he wasn't interested in the game.) They'd all formed a small crowd around Jimmy and I, each cheering for a different person. I had Koleniko, Maccus, Hadras, Palifico, and some others named Clanker and Jelly (neither of whom I knew well) on my side, while Jimmy was backed by Quittance, Penrod, Ogilvey, Morey, Manray, and the twins. (I didn't know most of them, but Hadras had given me vivid descriptions while he was in my company, so mostly I knew who was who.)

We had just looked at our dice after our initial bids (mine had been one three, his was two twos), and glanced up at each other. "Well?" Jimmy scoffed. "Why don' ye go firs', lass? It'll be the last li'l reprieve ye get 'fore yer nex' lashin's."

I swallowed, and remembered the hand I'd been dealt. It wasn't a very good one; two fours, two threes, a two, and a five. I just had to pray that his roll had been worse. "Er..."

"We're all waitin', lass!" I heard Quittance call, the rest on Jimmy's side snickering. "Up yer bid!"

"Don't let 'em scare ya, Mercy!" Maccus shouted. "Bluff like a pirate 'n' keep tha' upper lip o' yers stiff! Call 'im a _fuckin' liar,_ tha's wha' he is!"

All of a sudden, we all heard a door swing open, and quickly turned to face it - even Jimmy. The unmistakable shadow of our captain reached us before the sound of his bad leg did, and soon he was on the deck. Everything sort of fell silent then, and heat hung thick in the air. I just realized that in trying to wait for Mister Turner and not die of boredom, I'd managed to distract not only Jimmy while he was on break, but the entire crew while they were supposed to be doing their jobs.

... Ohh, was I in trouble now.

I began shaking as Davy got closer to us, and I let go of my cup. "'N' wha'," he growled now that he was upon us, "be _this_ bilge? One o' ye bett'a answer me, er it be the brig for _both_ o' ye!"

Before I knew what I was doing, I was the one who replied - and to my surprise, I sounded more like them than I had realized sounding. "Me 'n' Jimmy was just playin' a few rounds o' Liars' Dice, Captain. Just waitin' for Mister Turner. Didn't mean ta disturb you."

Davy looked from me to Jimmy, then repeated the action. "_Are_ ye now?" Ah, lovely. He was in a sarcastic mood today. "Well, _fergive me_ fer interruptin'. De ye know who be _winnin'_, lass?"

"Mercy's made a liar of him twice," Koleniko answered, looking rather excited.

"_So far,_" Maccus chuckled. "I taugh' 'er ev'rythin' she know, ain't a way in hell she's gonna lose now. I tol' 'er ta call 'im a liar, but she's gonna up 'er bid, I know how she is."

"You can do it, _Jihi!_" Hadras yelled to me.

"Well?" Davy's tentacles wiggled impatiently in our direction. "Cast yer next bid, Mercy."

"Uhm... I think I'll go with... _three_ threes?" It sounded more like a question, but I was still desperately hoping that somehow, some way, Jimmy had rolled a three. "And your bid, Jimmy?"

"Three twos. Ready?"

A chant of "one, two, three!" from the crowd, and we revealed our dice. I almost couldn't believe it. I'd rolled two twos, so Jimmy would have beaten me by having a closer bet, with his own two twos... that was, if he hadn't rolled a three, as well. He'd only bet three twos, but there were four. I'd bet three threes, and that was exactly what there was on the table (so to speak).

A quietness passed over the deck, and it was apparently Jimmy's opportunity to speak. "Ma'ness," he uttered, still staring at the dice. "Tha's... Tha's three time she beat me! She gotta be cheatin', I... 'ow in the 'ell did sh'..." He couldn't even finish his sentence as he continued to simply ogle the dice.

Several of those on Jimmy's side began to snicker and jeer at him for losing to a nine-year-old girl, while my supporters cheered for me. Harder than they had while I was playing, in fact! It felt rather good. "Nice goin', Mercy!" Maccus hollered. "I knew ye could do i', lass! Knew ye had i' in ye!"

"Well well, wha' did ye bet then, Mercy?" Davy asked, walking even a bit closer to me.

"Lashes, sir."

"And ye won three round - ye give three lashes to the bo'sun then?" He glanced over at Jimmy. "Were those the terms y'agreed to, bo'sun?"

"Aye, sir," Jimmy muttered, gathering up his dice. "She set 'em out 'n' I agree' to 'em."

"Give 'er yer cat."

When Jimmy placed the whip in my hands, I was shocked. Of course he'd whipped _me_ before, and it would be the ultimate in ironic revenge, but I wasn't really looking to flog him. I'd just been bored and thought trouncing his arrogant arse might be fun. (Don't misunderstand me though, it _was_ fun.) "I... I don't _truly..._ I mean, I don't want to, you know, Captain Jones," I stammered, trying to give the cat back to Jimmy. He wouldn't take it, though. "I-I just didn't have much else to bet, is all. I'm _not_ going to whip him."

"I deserve i'," Jimmy tried to speak up.

A glare from Davy snapped Jimmy back into silence. "He'll be gettin' flogged either way, Mercy," he told me. He had changed from when we first met. Now he was far more steely, more commanding of me. He wasn't treating me like... like a _child_ anymore. "If ye dinnae do it, _I_ will."

I looked down at the whip in my hands, and then up at Jimmy. Ogilvey and Quittance were already holding him up on a mast, facing his bare back to me, and for some reason he weren't struggling at all. I knew that if Davy whipped him, poor Jimmy would be in pain for months yet. If I did it... well, I was very inexperienced. Maybe I wouldn't hurt him as much. (Then again, I'd wager that a flogging would hurt either way.) "I... I suppose I'll do it, then, Captain."

"Very well. Ye may star' a' any time. Three lashes."

I swallowed, and I could feel virtually all the crew's eyes on me. Even Hadras, who for all I knew was hoping I wouldn't go through with it. Slowly I raised the cat, without much conviction, and I couldn't even close my eyes, else I might miss.

I flicked my wrist hard as I could (which wasn't too awfully hard, mind you), and the leather struck Jimmy's back for the first time. It didn't completely tear the skin off as he'd done to me, but it was apparently enough to at least break the skin. As soon as I saw blood, it was hard for me to keep going. It looked as though Jimmy wanted to cry out, and he flinched, but he held his tongue behind gritted teeth. He was strong; if it were me, I'd already be sobbing.

I didn't want to continued torturing him; he was likely mad as hell's bells at me already. I didn't _want_ to hurt him too badly. But as I held the cat in my hand, staring at the thick stream of blood that had begun to trickle down his flesh, and hearing the others' encouragement, something came over me that also frightened me. No... no, I _did_ want to whip Jimmy Legs. I _did_ want to cause him pain for making me suffer. An eye for an eye, then we'd both be blind, and we could just move past it all.

I still had two lashes left.

I was harder with my second one, even thinking I had been as strong as I'd get with the first. This one was cast sharply enough to open up a gaping slice, with blood gushing out and dribbling down his back. He was clearly surprised by the force, as it looked like it was more difficult now for him not to scream. I could tell because he threw his head and arched his back, like that would help.

I held the whip back a bit, somewhat apprehensive about the third lash. What if I tore open the gash further? Well then, I would just have to aim somewhere else. I tried to stop myself from being too harsh with it, but nonetheless I aimed a bit lower... and ended up very nearly getting him in the rear with the whip. I heard what sounded like Maccus roaring with laughter soon as I did that, and this time the cut that followed on Jimmy's back(side?) was much smaller and thinner, though it still bled.

Jimmy still kept his mouth shut, even as Ogilvey and Quittance pulled him down off the mast, making no effort to mind their hands. And it must have hurt, because I clearly saw them grabbing about his injuries to yank him away from the mast. They pushed him away, hollering at him that maybe I'd do a better job as bo'sun.

He came toward me, and I thoroughly expected a slap to the face. When I didn't get it, I opened my eyes (since I'd closed them in anticipation of said nonexistent smack) to see the tired, less-than-enthusiastic look in his eyes, as he held out his hand in my direction. "Can I 'ave me cat back, mate?"

Though I was surprised he was calling me _mate_ instead of _lass, _I was glad to be rid of the wretched thing, and mouthed _Sorry_ to him as I handed it over. He promptly ignored me, instead turning away and walking stiffly off somewhere. Out of anyone's sight to go lick his wounds, probably.

Davy nodded at me, then vanished again. Just like he had the first time I met him - one second he was there, then the next you could swear he'd never been there in the first place. It was odd, but I had a feeling I'd get used to it.

Soon as he was gone, the members who'd been rooting for me all gathered round, and Niko hoisted me up onto his shoulders. His spines pricked me a bit, but I couldn't have cared less. "Ye did it!" Maccus shouted. "Ye showed 'im wha's wha', lass!"

"I wouldn't've guessed she was tha' strong!" Palifico chuckled. "W'o woulda thought?"

"Aye, did y'see the way she 'andled the cat?" Clanker asked, and when I looked down he was reaching up to give me a pat on the back.

"Like she'd been doin' it 'er w'ole life!" Jelly agreed, but he didn't touch me; if he did, the jellyfish would sting me and he was much too nice for that.

At first it was exciting; I'd given the _bo'sun_ a taste of his own cat! I was as ruthless as he'd been, and my new mates were praising me for it. I should have been proud of myself, as all my friends were. But there was a cold, terrible feeling deep down in my gut, especially when I looked over at Hadras. He looked disappointed; I almost wished I'd been brave enough to be a coward.

* * *

I snuck out of my hammock while the others were sleeping. I was afraid I'd woken Hadras when I stepped onto the stairs, because they creaked, and he was the lightest sleeper you'd ever meet in your life.

I wasn't sure what I'd been planning to do - just look out and stare at the sea, maybe. Pray to whoever was listening that Jimmy wouldn't be mad at me for too long, and... that I would survive on this ship. They were going to be tough on me... I hadn't been serving but a day, and it had started already, but they'd been serving for years. I could tell... it was going to get worse.

Imagine my surprise when I saw I wasn't alone in the stars' company. I walked up the stairs and as I peeked out, I could see Jimmy Legs standing there, leaned against the bulwark. Just looking up at the sky, far as I could tell.

For a moment I almost turned tail and ran back down the stairs. I didn't really want to though, and if I did, I'd be running away from all the crew for however long I was here. Not people like Hadras and Niko and Palifico... but the members like Jimmy. They _knew_ they scared me, and if I didn't face them even though I was scared, they'd never take me seriously. They'd never accept me as a part of the crew.

So I took a deep breath and walked out onto the deck, coming up beside Jimmy. "Ahoy, bo'sun, sir."

He must have known I was there before he could see me; the men on this ship seemed to have some sixth sense about that. All he did was snort and shake his head. "Why're ye still callin' me that, mate?"

I grabbed onto the bulwark, which was about the height of my head. I only came up to Jimmy's elbow, just a few inches above his waist. "Why're _you_ callin' _me_ 'mate'?"

"'Cause ye've deserved it." He didn't look at me, his eyes focusing out on the star-reflections on the sea. "'Ow was yer first day wit' Mister Turner?"

"Oh, not... not bad. He's very nice - I think he likes children."

"Pfft. Sound like ole Bootstrap, a'right." He scratched a finger on top of the bulwark, the only noise for a few seconds. "Ye 'member when I flogged ye the firs' time, Mercy?"

I winced, resisting the urge to reach back and touch my wounds. (I couldn't, Niko said that was bad for the healing.) "Aye... how could I forget?"

"Heh." He closed his eyes. "I s'pose I _was_ a bit 'ard on ye, wasn't I? But it's the only way anything ever gets done round this blasted ship. Nobody'd lift a bloody finger 'less they knew the cat was bein' cracked at 'em. 'Ad ta beat in inta ye. T'was jus' a few days ago, weren't it... all ye wanted ta do was run away from me."

"Wouldn't everyone?" It was supposed to be a joke, but I didn't feel much like laughing. "If you knew you were gettin' a taste of the cat, it wouldn't make you want to stand there."

"Right ye are! But taday... hmph... last thing on yer mind was runnin'." He reached down, and I felt his hand on my head, heavy and clammy and sweaty. Like he didn't know the proper way to pat a child on the head, but I didn't mind it anyway. "Ye got a lot ta learn, mate, but... ye did good. If ye're ever on a crew 'sides ours, ye know, when ye're grown... ye better be bo'sun er captain, er I'll 'unt ye down 'n' remind ye wit' me own 'and _why_ ye oughta be a bo'sun."

Blinking, I looked up at him. Sure, he was scary... but now, at night, when he wasn't cracking his whip at everyone... he didn't seem so bad. I scooted closer and grabbed onto the sash round his waist. "Jimmy... _mate..._" Using the word for him seemed like a mistake; the bo'sun was _nobody's_ friend. But it fit. "Will you take me back to my hammock? It's dark out here... I don't like the dark."

Finally he looked at me, scoffing. "Then why'd ye even come out 'ere in the firs' place..." He rested a fist on his hip, continuing to stare at me for a moment. At last he sighed, poking me in the forehead - so hard it bobbed my head back. "A'right then, Mercy, jus'... jus' stop givin' me them big ole eyes, will ye? C'mon, I'll walk ye back, but tha's _it._"

He turned around and started walking, a brisk pace he probably hoped I wouldn't be able to keep up with. He didn't want anyone to see what he was doing; he had a reputation to maintain, after all.

I grinned and ran after him, catching up within seconds and grabbing his hand. I leaned my head into his waist, giggling when he tried to pull away. "Oi! Firs' and las' time, ye mangy l'il menace, ye got tha'?!"

It really was too bad he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret... Davy saw everything that happened on the _Dutchman._ He'd be laughing about this later, I was sure of it.

* * *

**AHAHA. Poor Jimmy, but I had to put a little humor in at the end there.**

**Any suggestions for future chappies? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure how many chapters they'll spawn...**

**Well, anyway, I hope y'all liked, and if you did, review! Thanks fer readin'! ^^**


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